Spring for beds or mattresses



- y 1944- B. GLADSTONE 2,348,897

SPRING FOR BEDS OR MATTRESSES Filed June 6, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l amen V1300 y 6, 1944. B, GLADSTONE 2,348,897

SPRING FOR BEDS OR MATTRESSES Filed June 6, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May id,

seams FOR Benja i l 1 BEDS OR MATTRESSES.

Gladstone, Mass.

. Application .llllllle s, 1942, Serial No. 446,091

(cit-s51) 3 was.

r The invention is in spring structures, which are intended for use on beds; or in mattresses. The invention relates more particularly to double or what are known in the trade as "duplex springs or mattresses. Such springs, as hereto= fore madeyhave consisted primarily of two or more complete spring structures, arranged one on top of the other and secured together,thus giving added thickness to the resilient formation.

One of the objects of my present invention is to improve springs of this type, by strengthening the outside or border of the duplex structure, while at the same time retaining the extra resiliency inherent in this double or duplex arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to produce a structure that can be readily made from sections, which sections canbe built at any convenient place, as at the wire factory, and then assembled elsewhere, as at the mattress maker's shop.

These sections are so built that when as sembled they shall form a duplex spring body which shall be protected by taller and heavier springs on the sides, or ends, than are in the center; or,-the taller and heavier springs may be on both the sides and ture.

Fig. 1' is an end view of the duplex structure with the two units slightly separated, and with the middle part of the construction broken out.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of one end of the completed mattress, with the cover and padding removed at one corner to show the internal arrangement.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of one of the the ends of the strucmay be fastened to an intermediate sheet of burlap, canvas, or other suitable flexible matei rial C. The duplex structure is strengthened by 1 the same strength as the coils of the main body.

units, which, when combined with a duplicate thereof, will form thecomplete protected spring body.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of unit, which, when combined with a duplicate thereot'will produce a spring structure having tall protecting springs on all sides of the same.

The body of the duplex mattress here illustrated. is built up of special spring bodies. Two such bodies A and B are shown. Any number may be used, but two are usually sufilcient. These are complete double cone spring mattress structures in and of themselves; but will comlil'lill'lly be somewhat smaller than the springs usually sold for beds or mattresses. The sections A. and B are directly secured together, or both But there is a pronouncedadvantage in strengthening the borders, particularly the sides upon which persons are likely to sit. To that end, the spring sections A and B are protected or reinforced by border springs D, which are. not only as long as the thickness of the superposed sections A and B, but which also are preferably somewhat stiffer or stronger than the springs Iil of the said sections A and B. These springs stiflen the borders of the mattress construction.

These strengthened borders do not interfere with the resiliency appreciably, and, therefore, the comfort of the mattress as a whole, for the body of a sleeper usually rests on the central sections, as A and B, and not on the edges; but the stronger springs of the edges serve to protect the mattress from undue pressure and wear at these points.

The longer and stronger springs D may be used on the sidesof the structure only; or on the ends only; or on both sides and ends.

Fig. 1 clearly shows the arrangement of the spring bodies. The sections in this figure, however, are slightly separated. causes the long and heavy springs D, which really havealength about equal to the thickness of the two mattresses, to appear shorter. The complete mattress is preferably made of duplicate halves. When two such half sections are brought together, the long springs D are properly positioned around the structure, and the short springs are superposed. The arrangement is well shown in Fig. 3.

This duplex construction, just as those of the prior art, can be used either as a bed spring, or it may be padded and covered,- in which case it becomes a "duplex mattress.

The individual coiled springs ID are the double cone shaped spiral springs commonly used in bed spring and mattress construction. Each spring has large and flexible convolutions I i at its ends, and smaller and therefore stifferv convolutions l2 This separation at its middle portion. But the exact form of spring is not of the essence of this invention,

and any suitable form may be used.

In practice, the springs of sections A and B may be of the same strength, in which case both sides of the .duplex mattress will; have the same snake coils. These hold the springs 10 together more or less elastically, and so permit-a slight Similar yielding between the various members. devices form borders for the sections.

The helical coil ,8 (Figs. 2 and 3) is substantiallv identical with the coils S, but is used somewhat differently; it secures the sections A and B together by uniting the top convolutions of the springs Ill of section A and the end convolutions of the long springs D of section B. The points of union are l5 and I1,- Fig. 1. coil similar to 53 (not shown in Figs. 2 and 3) unites the small coils l of section B and the end convolutions of the long springs D of section A, at I5, H, on the right on Fig. 1.

The c'oils S, at the top and at the bottom of Fig. 1, have their ends left free, as at S. When the sections are united, the free ends S are secured to the end convolutions of long springs D, at or about the points IS. The finished spring construction is best shown in Fig. 2.

If the spring structure is to bemerely a bed spring, it is used as indicated in Fig. 1; it is padded and covered, as at P, and provided with ties Q. which pass through the structure, for use as a mattress.

As stated before, one of the objects of the invention is to produce a spring structure that can be made in substantially duplicate sections at the wire factory, and be put together by the mattress maker in his own shop. Further, a duplex spring structure is contemplated; and it is most desirable that every unit be made just like every other unit.

The sections may be made in any desired shape or form, so long as they are of such form that two or more can be combined to produce a duplex spring structure of the desired shape and size.

. As here illustrated, the sectional structure is a so-called duplex sprin partly or entirely surrounded by a border of single but taller and stronger springs; such, for instance, as the springs D of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Two forms of sectional construction are illustrated. Fig. 4 is a diagram of a section which is designed, when combined with a duplicate section, to form a double spring with a border of reinforcing springs on the sides only, or the ends only of the body. Fig. 5 illustrates a form which. when combined with a duplicate section, will produce a duplex structure with taller and heavier springs on all four sides thereof.

Fig. 4 may be regarded as a diagrammatic view of either of the two sections A or B of Fig. 1, which sections are duplicates, and therefore Fig. 4 should be read in connection with Fig. 1. In Fig. 4, the individual coils are not delineated, but l0 indicates lines of the small or short coils ill of Fig. l, and D represents a line of tall and heavy coils D of Fig. 1. The

characters S, S are the connecting "sna wires mentioned earlier. The coil 5' does not appear in this figure. Certain of the other char- "acters used in Fig. 4 are not found in Fig. 1,

but these will be particularly referred to in the further description.

' the small coil 'sectionjB. Together, the two sectic helically wound'wires- S, sometimes termed Another tions will appear as in Figs. 2 and 3. As already mentioned,- the useof -burlap or canvas between the sections is optional.

It the flexible sheet is used, the middle portions of the tall and heavy springs D, or at least some of them are preferably secured thereto, by the clips 14, or similar fastening means, Figs. 1 and 3. The springs D and the flexible fabric C thus mutually support each other.

Referring further to Fig. 4, the snake coils correspond to those shown in Fig. 1. The coil S however, does not appear in the diagram; for this coil connects the tail and heavy springs D of the one section, as B, to the larger convolutions of the small springs ifl of the companion section A; and in Fig. 4 only one section is shown. The character lb of Fig. 4 indicates the line along which the snake wire S connects the tall springs D of section B to the smaller springs III of section A; and 11 shows the line of connection, by means of which another snake wire S connects the tall springs D of section A to the springs Ill of section B.

Thus, when two sections like the one shown in Fig. 4 are connected together, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the snake coils 8 applied. there is formed a duplex spring body having heavy protecting springs along two opposite edges thereof.

Fig. 5 embodies the same general principle as the earlier figures; but in the form of Fig. 5, the sections have tall and heavy springs along one entire edge and half way along two adjacent edges. When two sections such as that shown in Fig. 5 are superposed, the springs ll of one section will rest on the springs Ill of the other section, and the combined tall and heavy springs of the two sections will extend along the four edges of the duplex body.

Here the lines i5 indicate the same function as the lines ii of Fig. 4; that is, it is along these lines 'thatthe tall heavy springs D of one secare stronger than the springs of the body section and of a height approximately double that of the springs of the body section and which extend along one side of the body section and approximately half way along the adjacent sides of the section, and means connecting the body section and the border section whereby two of these substantially identical sections may be' so combined in reverse relation to each other, so as to form a spring mattress having a duplex body and a complete border of springs stronger than the springs of the body.

2. As an article of manufacture, a coiled spring body section for a duplex bed or mattress structure, a border section of coiled springs which are stronger than the springs of the body section and of a height ofapproximately double that of the springs of thebody-sectionland which extend along at least one side of the-body section, and means for securing the springs of the two sections together whereby two 01' these substantially identical sections may be so combined in reverse relation toeach other as to form a spring structure having a duplex body and a border on at least two opposite sides thereof of springs stronger than the springs of the body sections.

3. As an article of manufacture, a coiled spring body section for a duplex bed or mattress structure, a border section of coiled springs which are stronger than the springs or thebody section and of a height approximately double that of the springs of the body section and which extend along at least one side of the body section, and means for connecting, the springs of the border "section to the springsfof the body section with one face of the springs of the border section approximately flush with one face of the springs of the body section and the other face of the springs of the border section projecting beyond the other face ofthesprings of the body section, whereby two of these substantially identical sections may be so combined in reverse relation to each other as to form a spring structure having a duplex body and a border on at least two opposite sides thereof of springs stronger than the springs of the body sections.

BENJAMIN GLADSTONE. 

